From Fields to Futures: Reimagining Agribusiness for a Sustainable Asia
Foreword | The Global Lens
Dean Emeritus Prof. Brij Mohan
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Agriculture has never been merely an economic activity. It is the foundation of food security, livelihoods, communities and human civilisation. In twenty-first-century Asia, however, agriculture is being asked to accomplish something considerably more demanding: to feed growing populations while conserving natural resources, responding to climate change, embracing technological transformation and creating dignified and resilient livelihoods.
It is against this backdrop that Horizon Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences Research presents this Special Issue, “Transforming Asian Agribusiness for a Sustainable Future: Economics, Entrepreneurship and Innovation.” The theme is timely because the future of agriculture can no longer be considered solely in terms of production. It must be understood through the wider systems of finance, technology, processing, logistics, markets, entrepreneurship, policy and community capability that determine how agricultural value is created and shared.
Centurion University: A Distinctive Institutional Setting
The choice of Centurion University of Technology and Management (CUTM) as the institutional partner for this Special Issue is particularly meaningful. CUTM’s distinctive orientation towards skill-based and experiential learning, employability, entrepreneurship, innovation and community engagement provides an appropriate setting for examining how universities can connect knowledge with practical capability and societal impact.
The University’s educational philosophy is especially relevant to agribusiness. Agricultural transformation depends not only on scientific advances, but also on people who can apply knowledge, build enterprises, work with communities, understand markets and translate innovation into practical solutions.
Recognition of a Skill-Based Learning Model
CUTM’s educational approach has also attracted significant institutional recognition. The Hon’ble Governor of Odisha, Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati, who also serves as Chancellor of the State’s Government Universities under the prevailing framework, recently directed the Vice Chancellors of Odisha’s universities to visit CUTM and learn from its exemplary skill-based learning model. The subsequent meeting of 23 Vice Chancellors at CUTM on 13 August 2026 created an important platform for institutional exchange and reflection on the future of higher education.
Such recognition is important because the challenge facing universities is no longer simply to transmit knowledge. Higher education must increasingly help learners acquire practical competence, entrepreneurial confidence, technological awareness and the ability to address complex social and economic problems.
CUTM’s distinctive character is also rooted in an institutional journey that has consistently sought to connect education with opportunity. From its origins in 1997 and its evolution into a university in 2010, CUTM has developed an educational model centred on hands-on, experiential and practice-oriented learning, supported by industry engagement and a strong commitment to sustainable livelihoods. Its presence across six campuses in Odisha, together with around 40 outreach centres, reflects an equally important commitment to widening access to education and skills, particularly among first-generation learners and communities in less-developed and tribal regions. This combination of learning-by-doing, social inclusion and community engagement offers an especially relevant foundation for rethinking how universities can contribute to the future of Asian agribusiness and rural development.
Sustainability with Measurable Global Visibility
CUTM’s sustainability trajectory provides another important dimension to its profile. The supplied Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2026 institutional material places CUTM in the global 101–200 band, compared with 601–800 in 2024 and 301–400 in 2025, and identifies CUTM as fifth in India. The same material reports particularly strong global positions in SDG 7, Affordable and Clean Energy (#26); SDG 13, Climate Action (#27); SDG 1, No Poverty (#43); SDG 2, Zero Hunger (#44); SDG 14, Life Below Water (#51); and SDG 15, Life on Land (#65). CUTM is reported as participating in 15 SDGs, excluding SDGs 6 and 16.
These results are especially relevant to the present Special Issue because sustainable agribusiness sits at the intersection of food security, poverty reduction, climate resilience, responsible production and ecosystem protection. The rankings therefore provide an institutional context in which CUTM’s educational, research and community ambitions can be viewed alongside broader global sustainability priorities.
From Local Capability to Global Scholarship
CUTM’s role is also reflected in its growing engagement with international scholarship. The University conducts international conferences that bring together researchers and practitioners and provide platforms for the dissemination of research. In the instance documented in the supplied conference photograph, proceedings were published by Taylor & Francis. It is an encouraging example of CUTM’s aspiration to carry forward such internationally visible scholarly dissemination in future conference proceedings as well.
The deeper significance of these developments lies in the connections they create: between the university and community, learning and livelihoods, research and enterprise, and local challenges and international scholarship.
The future of Asian agribusiness will require precisely these connections. Farmers, entrepreneurs, researchers, policymakers, technology providers and universities must increasingly work within shared ecosystems rather than isolated sectors. Agricultural innovation must be economically viable, environmentally responsible, technologically accessible and socially inclusive.
I commend the leadership and academic community of Centurion University of Technology and Management, Prof. Rabi N. Subudhi, the editorial team of Horizon JHSSR and all contributing scholars for bringing this Special Issue to fruition. May the scholarship gathered here stimulate new research, strengthen partnerships and contribute to food systems that are productive, resilient and inclusive.
To secure a sustainable future, Asian agribusiness must pivot from a narrow focus on productivity toward systemic innovation. Navigating the modern agricultural landscape requires forward-thinking strategies that leverage the AI revolution, harness cross-cultural connectivity, and build resilience against climate change.
CITE THIS ARTICLE Brij Mohan. From Fields to Futures: Reimagining Agribusiness for a Sustainable Asia: Foreword- The Global Lens. Horizon J. Hum. Soc. Sci. Res. 8 (S), xvii–xix (2026). https://doi.org/10.37534/bp.jhssr.2026.v8.nS.id01S81.pxvii
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